


The Magic Within

by Happy_Days19



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-20
Updated: 2020-03-30
Packaged: 2021-03-12 19:20:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22823287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Happy_Days19/pseuds/Happy_Days19
Summary: Follow the Mighty Nein throughout their adventures at Hogwarts! There will be plenty of magic, mistakes, Quidditch, and lots of friends along the way.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 19





	1. Chapter 1

Turning away from the door of the train after waving goodbye to her mama, Jester took a deep breath. Sure, she was sad to leave her mama for the school year, but she was also incredibly excited for everything that was to come. There were so many things that she couldn’t wait for, especially now that the day for her to go to Hogwarts had finally arrived. She was actually on the Hogwarts Express, which was beyond exciting. She was barely holding herself back from jumping up and down and squealing in happiness.

As it was, she took a small hop of joy before starting down the corridor, hoping to find somewhere to sit. She was so excited to meet all of her classmates. Maybe she could find someone to talk about Quidditch with. Now that was an idea to get excited about. Her mama had never quite understood her passion for the sport but had always supported her whole-heartedly.

Quidditch and flying were two of her absolute favourite things. Ever. Almost more than sweets and pastries, which was saying something. She had never been allowed to participate in youth Quidditch, but she had learned a lot from reading and her friend, the Traveler. She couldn’t wait until she was on her house Quidditch team.

Peeking into the cabins as she skipped past, Jester waved to random people before stopping in front of a mostly empty cabin. Aside from a boy who was looking out the large window, the compartment didn’t have any occupants.

“Hi!” she exclaimed, walking into the compartment. “I’m Jester. Can I sit here?”

Without really waiting for a reply, she plopped down on the bench facing the boy. To his credit, he only looked a little fazed by her sudden arrival, nodding in response to Jester’s question. As she sat down, Jester felt the train lurch forward as it started their journey towards the castle. Jester clapped her hands, excited by both the prospect of finally moving and of making a new friend.

“What’s your name? Are you excited to go to Hogwarts? The Traveler said it was suuuuper cool, but I don’t think any of the professors are going to be as cool as him. Do you play Quidditch?”

Finally pausing to take a breath, Jester took a minute to study the boy. He looked a little confused but still answered her after a short pause.

“I’m Fjord. I think Hogwarts will be good.”

“Hi, Fjord! You didn’t answer my question! Do you play Quidditch? It’s only the best thing ever!”

“Oh, yeah, definitely.”

“Ooh, yay!” Jester exclaimed, wiggling excitedly in her seat. “What position do you play?” When Fjord didn’t answer her question, she stared at him with her eyebrows furrowed. “You don’t play Quidditch, do you?”

Fjord gave a minute shake of his head, ducking his head and looking down. Jester thought he looked a little sad, so she gave him one of her biggest smiles.

“That’s okay! I can teach you all about it! Oh! Does that mean you’re a muggle-born?”

Jester hadn’t met many muggle-borns or muggles, so she was curious about meeting one her age.

“Is being muggle-born bad? I really want to learn all about magic. Did you grow up with magic?” Fjord asked, sounding a little unsure of himself, but leaning forward to talk with Jester.

“No! I mean, I don’t think so. They are going to teach us all about magic at Hogwarts. You’ll be an expert before you know it,” she said with a definitive nod. “Oh, yeah, I grew up with all kinds of magic. My mama is so great at magic, and she told me stories all about Hogwarts. It’s gonna be soooo fun!”

Jester thought his accent sounded a little weird, but maybe he was just nervous, so she didn’t ask him about it. She studied him a bit closer and her eye caught on his sweater. It looked like a Quidditch team logo, but she didn’t recognise it, so she decided it must be from the muggle world.

“What’s that?” she added, pointing at the logo.

“This is my favourite football team. Do you have a favourite football team?”

Jester had grown up in a very isolated environment, so she didn’t know how little some of the others would know about the magic world before starting school. She also didn’t know what muggle things like football were. She had never questioned any of the magical things that seemed so normal to her but would seem so foreign to those who hadn’t grown up in magical households. The thought of living without magic everywhere around her was just so weird.

“What’s football? Is it like Quidditch? I love Quidditch,” she enthused, glad to be talking about something she loved so much.

“I don’t know. What’s Quidditch like?”

Jester absently reached up and started playing with the blue bow her mama had tied in her hair before they had left for the train station.

“Oh my gosh. Well, it’s only the best sport EVER. There’s seven players and tons of people always go to watch it. The Keepers stop the balls from going into the hoops, the Chasers try to score, the Beaters hit balls at people, and the Seeker catches the Snitch, which is so pretty and small and hard to see,” Jester tried to explain in her excitement.

“It sounds a little like football,” Fjord said, sounding much more confident, any trace of his nervousness either gone or hidden. Football is a game where you kick a ball around. There are ten field players and a goalkeeper. It’s my favourite sport! Do you think there’s a team at Hogwarts?”

“Um, maybe. But I think you should definitely try Quidditch. It’s the best. I’m totally going to be on the House Team next year.”

“What’s a House Team?”

“Each house has a Quidditch team, so there are four of them. One for Hufflepuff, one for Ravenclaw, one for Gryffindor, and one for Slytherin,” Jester listed while counting the four houses on her fingers. “They’re all so cool. I can’t wait!”

“It sounds interesting. What else do you know?”

“Oh, I know lots of things. I know that doughnuts are the best breakfast food in the whole world and that pink is the best colour. Also, if you lock people out of your house in their underwear, you can get in trouble. I also know that there are, like, 700 Quidditch fouls, and they all happened during the Quidditch World Cup in 1473.”

“Wait, what?”

“Yeah, there are so many different Quidditch fouls.”

“No, I meant about the underwe-” Fjord tried to interject, but Jester just continued talking.

“I don’t think that many fouls usually happen during the Hogwarts games, though, so you don’t have to worry.”

Jester continued chattering happily for the duration of the train ride, with Fjord only getting a word in every once in a while. This continued until they pulled into the Hogsmeade Station, and as soon as Jester felt the train stop, she jumped to her feet and did her small happy dance.

“Yay, we’re here! Come on, Fjord! Let’s go!”

“You know where to go?”

“Well, no, but I bet I can figure it out!”

“Maybe we should ask someone.”

“That’s no fun,” Jester pouted, but before she could argue more, she heard a loud voice directing all the first years on where they needed to go. She took a deep breath of the crisp evening air, happy that they had finally arrived.

“See? We figured it out!” Jester said, grabbing Fjord’s hand and started pulling him out of the train. She and Fjord followed the instructions from the big, bald, tattooed man along to the boats, with Jester smiling at all the other first years the two were mixing with.

Fjord didn’t bother responding, but Jester could feel him tense up when she grabbed his hand. She loosened her grip, giving him the opportunity to slip his hand out of hers. When he tightened his grip after a few seconds, Jester absolutely beamed, getting a small smile back from him. Though he had been taking more of a passive approach to the journey up to this point, Fjord smiled and jumped into the first boat they came across.

“Cool!”

Jester clambered in after him, thinking that Fjord was right. This was the coolest thing that she could ever remember happening to her. While looking at the stars in the sky and dipping her fingers in the lake, Jester almost missed the third student that made her way into their boat.

“This is dope!” came the exclamation from behind them.

“Yeah, it is!” Jester said, whipping her head around to face the girl. “I’m Jester, and this is my best friend, Fjord. What’s your name?”

“Beau.”

Just then, the boats started moving across the lake. Fjord started looking around, leaning over the side. Jester grabbed the back of his shirt, worried that he would fall in. Before she had a chance to ask what he was doing, she heard Beau’s voice echo her thoughts.

“What are you doing? You want to show up to the Sorting all wet from falling in the lake?”

“I like swimming,” Fjord mumbled, but Jester saw a tinge of pink in his cheeks from the lantern hanging on the front of the boat as he settled back into his seat.

“Beau!” Jester exclaimed. “Do you like Quidditch?”

“Yeah, it’s cool,” Beau answered, raising an eyebrow at Jester. “Are you always this excited?”

“Well, kind of, yeah,” Jester replied, not deterred at all. “Do you play or just watch?”

“My family has an orchard that’s pretty far out from any muggles, so I could fly around on our land. Sometimes my friends would come over and play.”

“That’s so cool!” Jester almost shouted in reply, only lowering her voice when students from nearby boats turned to look at them. “Are your friends here, too?”

“Well, they were only kind of friends. I guess they were just kids from around town. I think they only came because my parents made them,” Beau mumbled, sounding embarrassed.

“That’s okay. We’re your friends now. And we’ll definitely play Quidditch with you after we teach Fjord how.”

“You’ve never played?” Beau asked, turning to Fjord.

“No,” he said.

“Guys!” Jester interrupted, pointing excitedly at the beautiful castle up ahead.

As she studied the silhouette of Hogwarts Castle, she heard twin exclamations of wonder from the other occupants of the boat. She couldn’t wait to draw it later and send it in a letter to the Traveler, even though she was sure he knew what it looked like. She wondered what the castle would hold for her and her new friends over the next seven years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! This story will feature all of the Mighty Nein, including Molly. Which house do you think each character will be in?


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought A. LOT. about the sorting and even wrote a whole rationale for each character, so I'll put that at the end of the chapter.

Eventually, the boats slowed to a stop and the first years all climbed out onto solid ground. Jester stuck close to Fjord and Beau, happy that she had already made two new friends. She hoped that everyone would be as nice as them. Jester was a little nervous for the Sorting, but her mama had promised that she would do great and that they just had to wear a funny hat for a little while.

The students didn’t have a chance to talk again before they were led into the Great Hall. Jester, along with many of the other first years, gawked at the amazing ceiling. She also spent some time looking at all of the other students, very happy to see that there were so many of them. She was going to make so many new friends!

They didn’t have to wait too long before the Sorting began. There were so many students getting sorted, and while Jester wanted to meet them all, a few students stuck out. “Brave, Nott” was a very short girl with an almost pointy smile who was sorted into Hufflepuff. “Clay, Caduceus” was next. He was a pretty tall first year, especially in contrast to the girl who had been sorted before him, but like her, he was also sorted into Hufflepuff. Jester heard a few more students being sorted into the other houses, hearing Ravenclaw, Slytherin, and Gryffindor all being called.

Before she knew it, it was her name, “Lavorre, Jester”, that was being called. She sucked in a deep breath before walking up to the stool and sitting gracefully down, robe flaring out behind her. Grinning at that, she pointed her eyes up to meet the hat that had been placed on her head. Jester gasped in delight when she heard a voice in her head.

“Hmm, very interesting,” the hat’s voice echoed through her head.

“Hello!” she told the hat.

“You have plenty of courage, that is plain to see. Quite daring as well, and loyal. You would do well in Gryffindor, but there is so much more to you. You are a creative one, aren’t you?”

“Yes, I love to draw!”

“And you have brains to go with that creativity. Ravenclaw is also an option, but what I see most? Your kindness and joy. You like to make people smile; I can see. Loyalty also fits in Hufflepuff, where you would thrive.”

“So, where do I get to go?”

“Difficult, difficult. Hmm, this one will take a moment.”

As the hat continued to debate with itself, Jester contented herself to listening while her eyes scanned the hall. She looked at the older students, but her eyes continued to be drawn to her fellow first years that were still waiting to be sorted. She gave a small wave to Fjord and Beau. Fjord gave the tiniest of waves back, while Beau just returned a tight smile. Jester wondered if Beau was nervous. She wondered how much longer her friends would have to wait.

After what felt like forever, the hat finally called out a loud “Hufflepuff!”

Jester cheered before joining Nott, Caduceus, and the rest of the Hufflepuffs at the table. She hoped that Fjord and Beau would be sorted into her house so they would be able to spend even more time together, but she knew that they would still be able to be friends even if they were in different houses.

Taking her seat at the Hufflepuff table, Jester heard “Lionett, Beauregard” being called up next, and was happy to see that she wouldn’t have to wait long to see which house her friend would end up in. Jester still though Beau looked a little nervous, but she wasn’t sure. After all, she had just met the girl. The hat sat on her head for a long time before “Gryffindor” was declared. Jester cheered loudly, though she was a little sad that they weren’t in the same house.

“Nydoorin, Yasha” was a tall girl with super cool hair, at least in Jester’s opinion. It didn’t take too long before she was sent to the Hufflepuff table. Jester patted the seat next to her and received a soft, “Thank you” for her gesture.

“Your eyes are so cool!” Jester blurted out, looking deep into Yasha’s different coloured eyes. “I’m Jester.”

“Thanks. Yasha,” came the soft and short reply.

Jester really wanted to keep talking, but the Sorting was still happening, and she also really wanted to watch it. She figured that she would have plenty of time to talk to her new classmate later, so she turned her attention back to the other first years. They had missed just one student’s sorting, and while Jester tried to focus on the ceremony, her mind kept drifting to the amazing adventures she just knew she would have with her friends in the castle. She was so excited, but managed to pull herself back just in time to focus on “Stone, Fjord”.

When the Sorting Hat declared “Hufflepuff”, Jester actually jumped up. She was so excited that her first friend from Hogwarts would be in their house. She just knew it was supposed to be that way. Fjord sat directly across the table from her.

“Fjord! I knew it! I’m so excited!” she squealed excitedly.

Fjord returned her smile, seemingly also happy that they had ended up in the same House.

“Tealeaf, Mollymauk” looked cool and confident as he strode up to the hat, never losing his collected smile as the Hat sent him to the Hufflepuff table. Jester waved and smiled at him as he sat down next to Yasha. He winked at her, which made her giggle.

“We have so many new friends, Fjord!” she whispered across the table.

“But we just met them. They aren’t really our friends yet,” he whispered back, looking a little confused.

“Don’t be silly, Fjord,” she whispered his name exaggeratedly. “Of course they’re our friends. Or at least they will be really soon!”

Fjord just gave her a head nod and shoulder shrug before she turned her attention back to the last first year waiting to be sorted. Jester thought he looked a little dirty, but she didn’t judge, so it didn’t bother her. Maybe he had a reason for being that dirty. “Widogast, Caleb” ended up sitting at the Slytherin table before the voices in the hall rose to a loud hum, with most of the students turning to talk to their friends now that all the first years had been sorted.

As the Headmistress Allura Vysoren walked up to the podium, a hush fell over the room.

“Good evening, students, and welcome back to Hogwarts. As always, work hard and have a wonderful year. I believe this will be a good one, so make sure you enjoy it,” she said before stepping back to let the students have their feast.

All of the large platters sitting in front of the students filled with food. Jester let out a small cheer when she saw some of her favourites, though she was a little sad that there were no pastries on the table. She looked over at her friends and saw that both Fjord and Yasha’s eyes had grown quite large looking at all of the food. Jester happily started filling her plate after seeing the older students do so, and after a few seconds, the other first year Hufflepuffs followed.

“This is so exciting, don’t you think?” Jester asked with her mouth full, turning to Fjord.

Fjord didn’t stop eating, shovelling food quickly into his mouth, but he gave a quick nod. Yasha looked over, but didn’t stop either. Jester saw the one called Caduceus give the plate of chicken a glare before turning back to his potatoes, but when she spoke, he looked over at her.

“Yes, this is quite exciting. But do they have to have all this meat?”

“But meat is so good!” a slightly squeaky voice cut in.

Sensing a possible argument, Jester decided to try to change the direction of the conversation.

“What classes are you looking forward to most?”

“Potions sounds fun. I’m Nott, by the way,” replied the girl with the squeaky voice.

“Not what?” Caduceus asked, looking confused. “I can’t wait to try Herbology. Do you think they’ll let us take the plants to make tea?”

“I think that’s her name. I’m Mollymauk, Molly to my friends,” another first year chimed in. He had shockingly purple hair with some beads braided in, and Jester loved it immediately.

“Hi, Molly! Your hair is so gorgeous!”

“Thanks. You’re pretty gorgeous yourself,” he said with another wink.

Jester beamed, so happy that everyone was super nice. Fjord and Yasha still hadn’t stopped eating, so Jester contented herself with talking with the other first years. The only thing that could make this better was if Beau was at the table too.

“Potions and Herbology sound fun, but I’m really excited for Charms! I heard that there’s a charm that can tickle you so much that you can’t stop laughing. Doesn’t that sound cool?”

As they continued their conversation, the food suddenly disappeared from the table. Jester almost laughed at the twin expressions of dismay on Fjord and Yasha’s faces, but they looked so upset that she didn’t.

“Don’t worry, my mama said they have this much food for every meal!” Jester said.

Yasha and Fjord looked much happier when they heard that, especially when dessert appeared quickly to replace the food that had disappeared moments earlier. Jester cheered when she saw the huge amount of sweets, wasting no time digging in.

The conversation flowed freely throughout the rest of the feast, only slowing once everyone had eaten their fill and the excitement of the day had caught up with them. Jester yawned, an action that was mirrored by a fair amount of the others. Luckily, it seemed like things were winding down, and they were led to their dormitories before long.

Though she was tired, Jester found herself awake enough to stare at everything they were passing. She was in awe of the castle and everything within it, and she couldn’t wait to explore the entire place. Fjord and the others would probably love to come too, and she just knew that they were going to have so much fun.

When they arrived in the common room, the girls and they boys split off. Jester gave Fjord, Caduceus, and Molly a wave, calling out that she would see them in the morning. Luckily, she was directed to the same room as Yasha and Nott. To her delight, her kitty was waiting for her.

“Sprinkle!” she exclaimed, rushing over to give the cat a hug. Sprinkle hissed a little, but didn’t struggle too much.

She looked around, and all of her things had been brought from the train to the room. Digging through her trunk, she grabbed what she needed for the night, too tired to worry about the rest of her stuff.

“This is so amazing. Are you guys ready for tomorrow?”

Nott and Yasha must have been as tired as she felt because she didn’t get much of an answer beyond an affirmative response. Well, there was always time to talk the next day. Jester thought she would be too excited to sleep, but as soon as she slipped between the sheets of her bed, her eyes drifted shut. Her last thought was what her mama had told her before she left: “Be safe, be bright, and make me proud.” She was so excited to do that and to learn how to be an amazing witch.

* * *

**Sorting rationale:**

**Jester Lavorre- Hufflepuff**

As with most of these sortings, I had so many thoughts about which house Jester would be sorted into. I think she would fit into Ravenclaw or Gryffindor too, but I truly believe that she fits best into Hufflepuff. She has the intelligence and creativity to fit into Ravenclaw, no question there. Jester also displays the bravery and loyalty that make a great Gryffindor, but the thing that sets her as more of a Hufflepuff in my opinion is how much she cares for everyone and how empathetic she has shown to be.

Loyalty is also a Hufflepuff trait, and Jester has plenty of that. She is so loyal to her friends, her family, the Traveler, and even her pets. She is always trying to make people laugh and make them feel better if they are feeling down. She spreads joy everywhere she goes, and like Beau says, everyone has a crush on her, and a lot of that is due to her Hufflepuff traits.

Jester has also been shown to be selfless on multiple occasions. She got Fjord the letter he needed for the Academy and has sacrificed herself to keep others from harm. She is even willing to give up her hands to help break Nott’s curse, though she doesn’t end up doing that. Jester is also a hard worker, and will work to make sure everything is safe or to make her friends happy.

Though she has proven to have great intelligence and insight, especially when it comes to other people, I would say that this would translate into a Hufflepuff trait just as much as a Ravenclaw trait in this case. Being able to understand others the way she is gives her the ability to empathize and comfort others, and we see this a lot throughout the campaign. I also believe that she would identify more with her kindness and loyalty than her intellectual and creative abilities.

Gryffindor would also be a great fit for Jester, but I think she leans just slightly more into Hufflepuff. She is willing to jump into any situation to help her friends or others and has the loyalty that is a shared quality of Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. She is brave and sometimes borderline reckless, but I think that the Sorting Hat would say that her empathy, sweetness, and desire to make everyone happy would just outweigh her Gryffindor tendencies.

In terms of her pranks, while some may see them as a sign that she belongs in Slytherin, none of her pranks are downright malicious or mean-spirited. I see them as more of a way to get people to smile and to make people happy, which also fits with the Hufflepuff sorting. Her want for justice in many cases also is much more of a Hufflepuff trait.

Overall, Jester could easily fit in well as part of the other houses, and I could see her being close to a Hat Stall, but she embodies and prizes so many of the Hufflepuff traits, so I sorted her into Hufflepuff.

**Fjord Stone- Hufflepuff**

Fjord was a very difficult one to sort. Even throughout the course of the campaign, his character has evolved so much, and I could really see arguments for different houses. He almost ended up in Slytherin, but just snuck into Hufflepuff at the last minute.

Though some of his actions seem to contraindicate being in Hufflepuff, he is also a deeply caring and loyal individual. He works hard on a consistent basis and is always looking out for the good of the group. He hid some aspects of who he was at the beginning of the journey, but Fjord has grown to trust the rest of the group and has dropped his falseness to let his true self shine through. Even with this, he seems to be very hones and has his own moral compass. He tries to stop Caleb from stealing a scroll near the beginning of their journey, concerned about what that would mean for the group.

As he grew into trusting the group, Fjord also tried to assure others that they were a group and that they would all look out for the others. He shows true concern for others and tries to help the Shuster children when they were faced with being sent to an orphanage. In addition, he tries to make sure that he stays in check with his power, making an agreement with Beau to try to be better people.

Fjord is selfless, always trying to protect the others. When Jester was in the water, Fjord gave her his air to save her. He also tries to save lives when possible, being able to talk through certain situations, such as when he got the crew of a ship to surrender without any combat.

When his friends are down or upset, Fjord tries to comfort them. Beau and Fjord talk multiple times about her family, and he does not want her to make the deal of walking away from the group in order to break Nott’s curse.

Though he definitely possesses the cunning and ambition to be in Slytherin, his choices are what sets him aside as a Hufflepuff. When he first meets his friends, he is on a quest to understand and learn more magic. However, later in the campaign, when he is concerned about Uk’otoa and the amount of power in the balance, he is willing to give up all of his powers to stop him.

In many ways, Fjord is a big part of the glue that helps keep the group happy and together, and has a steady presence that the group can always count on. He has grown to be a true leader of the group, and his loyalty, kindness, and hard work have benefitted the group immensely. All of these things plus his choices make him a great fit for Hufflepuff.

**Beauregard Lionett- Gryffindor**

Again, Beau is a character who embodies the characteristics of multiple Hogwarts houses. I could see her easily being sorted into more than one house. Beau would be another character that could be a Hat Stall. In this story, Beau has been sorted into Gryffindor. I could see her also fitting quite well into Ravenclaw, but there are a few reasons she has been sorted into Gryffindor. She also has a few Slytherin qualities, but I don’t see her fitting as well into that house.

Beau isn’t everything you see on the surface. It takes a lot of digging to get to her real character, especially with the front she puts up. The values prized by Gryffindor are bravery, nerve, courage, and chivalry, and Beau has these in abundance. She has strong feelings and acts on her own moral code. Though many of her actions wouldn’t fit into everyone’s morals, they fit within hers, and she follows her feelings no matter what the consequences in many situations.

Though Beau acts like she doesn’t care about some things, it is clear that she is undyingly loyal towards her team and those who have proven themselves to her. She is almost loyal to a fault, moving to sacrifice herself so that Nott can get her curse broken and live happily. Her offer of sacrifice also shows her courage and nerve, as well as her lack of concern for herself. Beau will always try to protect her friends, even if she has to get hurt in the process.

Searching for the truth and trying to learn is super important to Beau, which would make her a good fit for Ravenclaw. She also has a high intelligence and has shown to be very smart throughout the campaign, but I would also argue that Beau tends to act based on her gut feeling and instinct rather than on the facts of the situation. She has also been known to jump into a fight without completely thinking things through, especially if any of her friends are in danger. Her actions sometimes defy her intelligence, such as provoking others or defying authority figures, even when it is not in her best interest to do so.

Putting her needs in front of the group’s needs is not a typical thing for Beau, as she always tries to make sure the group is protected and taken care of, and though she can sometimes be brash and somewhat abrasive, I do not believe that Slytherin is the right fit for her. She has shown leadership skills, as well as ambition and cunning, but embodies the Gryffindor traits more than Slytherin, and I believe that she herself values the Gryffindor qualities more than her Slytherin qualities.

Beau is a complex character, and though she could fit in other houses, she absolutely fits as a brave and loyal Gryffindor.

**Yasha Nydoorin- Hufflepuff**

Oh, Yasha, a sweet, soft, Barbarian. She is tough on the outside, and while some might be surprised to see her in Hufflepuff, she embodies a loyal Hufflepuff. Yasha can be somewhat blunt and not the best in social situations, but she is very kind. She has a collection of flowers and goes out of her way to accommodate the group members. Though Yasha has proven to be able to deal a great amount of damage, she is also very gentle with her sword, being able to give people shaves with the sword.

As the Sorting Hat listens to everyone it is sorting, Yasha would potentially ask to not be in Gryffindor, as she has stated that she thinks herself a coward for running away from her tribe. She ran instead of being found with the rest of the group after the incident at the circus near the beginning of the campaign.

Yasha has also shown concern about her friends, wanting them to run instead of protecting her. She does not have much in terms of healing powers, but will try to heal others when they need it. Even though she leaves the group multiple times throughout the campaign, she is loyal to them and will fight to keep them safe. She might be one of the more introverted members of the group, but that doesn’t mean that she doesn’t care deeply about them. Her gentle soul shines through frequently.

Hard work isn’t a problem for Yasha, and she works hard to prove herself to her friends. She may not have much faith in herself at times, but she always believes in her friends. Though Yasha remains somewhat of a mystery even now, she fits well in Hufflepuff, and cares deeply about her friends.

**Caleb Widogast- Slytherin**

Although Caleb may seem like a Ravenclaw at first glance, the Sorting Hat goes deep into the minds of those it sorts. Caleb absolutely embodies the thirst for knowledge and learning valued by Ravenclaws, but he is also so much more than that.

Especially near the beginning of the campaign, Caleb and Nott discuss just leaving the group if something happens, and he even contemplates leaving during watch on his own one night. He is looking out for himself, and sometimes Nott, before the others when they first meet. Over time, he grows to care deeply about the rest of the group and tries hard to protect them.

Caleb seeks to become a more powerful wizard. This is a great ambition of his, and he frequently purchases paper to attempt to add spells to his spellbook. In the past, he was a great student, and was driven and resourceful. His resourcefulness continued into adulthood, as he is frequently seen changing Frumpkin’s form into one that would fit the situation best.

Though he was magically manipulated into the horrible acts of the past, he believes himself responsible and has a very hard time with everything that happened with his parents. He throws himself fully into becoming a more powerful wizard after everything, and tries to learn more and more, also showing how he could fit well into Ravenclaw.

Manipulation is something Caleb has also learned throughout his journey. He also has trouble with social situations on occasion, but he has learned how to manipulate certain situations for the betterment of himself and the group. His ruthlessness comes through at times, especially during battles, and though he has struggled at times with his actions and past, he pulls through with the help of his friends.

Though he is extremely intelligent and loves knowledge and learning, his ambition, cunning, and thirst for power leave Slytherin as the house for Caleb.

**Nott Brave- Hufflepuff**

Nott the Brave may not think she is the bravest soul out there, but she is loyal and caring. It may take a while to see beyond the surface layer she hides beneath, but she has a good heart and cares endlessly for her friends. She is particularly loyal to Caleb, though this loyalty also extends to the rest of her friends, and she will go to great lengths to protect them.

When her friends are sad, Nott tries to cheer them up the best way she can, usually by giving them buttons, money, or flowers, in Yasha’s case. She takes note of what makes people happy and tries to use that later to help them. She and Jester try to forge a letter to someone from Caleb’s past in order to make him happy.

Nott may not be able to be with her halfling family all the time, but she clearly cares about them, sending packages back to them. She has been forced to be patient in the potential for turning back into a halfling, but she has handled things relatively well. When she heard what Beau offered in order to get Nott’s curse broken so she could turn back into a halfling, Nott did not want her to go through with it, instead coming up with an alternative offer.

Though Nott does not usually trust quickly, she is extremely devoted and almost maternal once she accepts someone. She always works hard to keep her friends together as a group and to make sure they feel important. She has even put herself in harm’s way to keep her friends safe. Even when she is afraid of something, such as water, she will still do what she needs to do to stay with her friends and to help them.

Nott may fit into Slytherin, but her choices and self-sacrifice in order to save her friends would not fit in as well with that house. Her loyalty, kindness, hard work, and choices in life make her a good fit for Hufflepuff.

**Mollymauk Tealeaf- Hufflepuff**

While Slytherin may seem like the obvious choice for the tricky and chaotic Molly, I would argue that he fits extremely well into Hufflepuff. He has shown how fair he is, as well as generous. He spends his money and gives to others. He is always chasing joy and trying to spread joy to others, and this is very Hufflepuff of him.

Molly is also very accepting, giving others second chances and not letting the prejudice of others sway his opinions. He has a good heart and is kind to others, as well as being loyal to those he cares about. He isn’t particularly ambitious to the point where he wants more from life, instead seeming content with his friends and circumstances.

Confidence isn’t something he lacks, not needing validation from others to be happy. He finds happiness in the little things in life and always tries to share that with others. Though he can’t remember his past, it didn’t show on the outside that that bothered him, except in very rare cases when he is confronted with it head-on.

Molly is always trying to encourage others, such as when he supported Beau when she wanted to change for the better. He is always encouraging Yasha, helping her when he can. Something that goes along with this is how he always tried to leave places better than he found them, which just screams Hufflepuff. He even inspired Beau and the others to try this.

Trying to protect others, especially those who can’t help themselves or his friends is also so important to Molly. Perhaps the best example of this is putting himself at a disadvantage right before his end in order to protect his friends.

Molly embodies so many of the Hufflepuff qualities, and he fits well in that house.

**Caduceus Clay- Hufflepuff**

Honestly, Caduceus seems like a slam dunk for Hufflepuff. He has a kind and soft-spoken way about him, fitting well with his moral compass. He is encouraging towards others and tries to support them any way he can.

Caduceus sees things in a positive light and manages to be both an optimist and a realist at the same time. He is a good listener and tries to comfort the others when they need it. He is loyal to the group, wanting to help and protect his friends. Though he can be blunt and does not always understand what others are asking him, he always tries his best and will do what he can to help others and to learn what he needs to do.

He has a strong connection with the earth and with nature, working hard to keep the temple in order after his family left. He has also shown extreme patience, waiting and staying at the temple for a long time while his family never came back.

Caduceus is always there with an open ear and a cup of tea when his friends need him, offering advice but not pushing them too far. He displays loyalty to his friends, his family, and the Wildmother, and is kind to everyone. Caduceus is honest and follows his moral code in true Hufflepuff fashion.


	3. Chapter 3

When Jester woke up, she stretched, forgetting where she was for a second. She half expected to hear her mama’s voice calling out to her, but when she remembered where she was, she jumped out of bed excitedly.

“Good morning, Yasha! Good morning, Nott!”

Hearing grumbles from Nott’s bed, Jester bounded over and jumped on her bed.

“Come on, Nott! Aren’t you so excited? You’re excited, right, Yasha?”

“Yes, I am very excited,” came Yasha’s soft reply, the tall girl already up and dressed for the day.

“Go away,” Nott croaked, pulling the covers over her head.

Jester was having none of that, starting a brief tug-of-war with the smaller girl. Eventually, Jester managed to pull the covers away, causing Nott to glare at Jester and get out of bed.

“Guys, it’s going to be SUCH a great day! Yasha, you never told us which class you were looking most forward to!” Jester said, moving over and starting to gather her things for the day.

“Oh, well, I don’t know. I think I am looking forward to seeing everything.”

“Me too! But especially Charms. Nott, you wanted to do Potions, right?”

Nott looked slightly more awake at this point, though Jester totally missed the miffed look Nott still had on her face. Jester was just so excited about the first day of classes that she figured everyone must feel the exact same way.

“Is it time for breakfast yet?” Jester asked, stomach starting to grumble despite the huge meal she ate the previous night.

“We get breakfast, too?” Yasha sounded cautious as she asked, turning to look at Jester.

“Well, duh. Don’t you always eat breakfast? Breakfast is, like, the best! I love doughnuts! Do you think they will have doughnuts?”

“I want to see Caleb again,” Nott cut in, finally up and out of bed.

“Who’s Caleb?” Jester asked.

“I sat with him on the Hogwarts Express yesterday. He got sorted into Slytherin.”

“Oh. My friend Beau got sorted into Gryffindor. Hopefully we’ll get to see both of them today!” Jester replied, already forgetting about Yasha’s previous comments.

The three girls continued their easy conversation as they finished getting ready and made their way to the common room. In a stroke of luck, Fjord, Caduceus, and Molly were just entering the common room too, so the group made their way to the Great Hall for breakfast. Jester would have gotten lost multiple times if not for the group. She felt Molly’s hand catch her and steer her the opposite direction than from where she had been going first, then a moment later, Yasha’s gentle touch as she got distracted by one of the moving paintings she stopped to talk to.

Eventually, the Hufflepuffs made it to the Great Hall, settling at the table. Jester pouted for a few moments, lamenting the lack of doughnuts, but she got over it pretty quickly. There were plenty of other yummy things to eat. The others were surveying the table and grabbing what they wanted to eat. Again, Jester spied a look of disgust on Caduceus’ face when he looked at the meat, but even he looked like he found something to make him happy. That was good. He, along with Yasha and Fjord, looked like they could use a few good meals in Jester’s opinion.

As everyone was finishing up their meals, they started looking at their schedules that had been passed out. Being first years in the same house, their schedules were the same, which Jester was very happy about.

“Fjord! Let’s go find Beau and see what her schedule is like! Maybe we have some classes together,” Jester said, getting up and starting to skip away from the Hufflepuff table towards the Gryffindor table.

“I’m going to go find Caleb!” Nott announced, getting up too.

Fjord got up and walked with Jester to go find Beau. It didn’t take long to find her, and when they did, they saw that Beau was stuffing bacon in the pockets of her robe.

“Hi, Beau! Did you have a good night?”

“It was alright,” Beau asked, giving them what seemed to be a slightly sceptical look.

“Saving a snack for later?” Fjord asked, motioning towards the bacon.

“What? I like bacon. Plus, you never know when it will be useful.”

“Oh, yeah,” Jester said. “Bacon is super important. Almost as important as doughnuts, but there weren’t any doughnuts at breakfast. If there were, I totally would have saved some too.”

“Just don’t let Caduceus see it. He has a thing about meat,” Fjord added, grabbing a piece of bacon for himself.

“Whatever. Did you need something?”

“Oh, yeah! We came to see if we had any classes with you!”

Jester set her schedule on the Gryffindor table, eagerly grabbing Beau’s schedule when Beau offered it up. As she scanned the schedule, she saw that it looked very similar to her own, though the order of classes and who they were sharing the classes with were different.

“Ooh! We have Herbology together!”

“Oh, yay!” Beau said, sounding sarcastic, though when Jester studied Beau’s face, it didn’t look like she was really being mean.

“Did you meet a lot of new friends?” Jester asked.

“I don’t need friends. Everyone here is a bunch of idiots, anyways.”

Jester’s face fell, sad that someone she considered a friend thought she was an idiot and didn’t want to be her friend. She picked up her schedule, shuffling back a few steps. Beau must have seen her face, since the Gryffindor spoke again.

“Wait, I didn’t mean you. You’re okay, I guess.”

“Everyone needs friends, and I think you probably need all the help you can get making them,” Fjord said, stepping closer to Jester.

“It’s okay, Beau. I do want to be your friend, though,” Jester added.

“I’ll see you in Herbology,” Beau said, abruptly getting up from the table and walking away.

“Bye, Beau,” Jester called after her.

“That was weird,” Fjord said as they walked back to the Hufflepuff table. “She needs to work on talking to people.”

“Maybe she’s just sad she doesn’t have any friends yet, but she’s got us now.”

“You’re a good person, Jester,” Fjord said.

As they joined the group of their friends at the Hufflepuff table, Nott walked up with a boy.

“This is Caleb. He’s the best Slytherin ever.”

“Um, hallo,” Caleb said quietly.

Choruses of hello came from the group.

“What’s your first class, Caleb?” Molly asked.

“Potions.”

“Is that your cat?” Yasha asked, pointing at the orange tuft of fur that was sticking out of Caleb’s robe.

“I didn’t think cats were allowed in the Great Hall,” Fjord remarked.

“Caleb can do whatever he wants,” Nott cut in, stepping in front of Caleb.

“Ja, this is Frumpkin,” Caleb said, pulling his robe aside a bit so Frumpkin could stick his head out.

“Oh my gosh! What a pretty cat!” Jester cooed.

“Hello, Frumpkin,” Caduceus said, studying the cat. “You are a smart one, I can tell.”

“He is very smart, ja. I should go.”

“You don’t have to go,” Molly said. “We still have a little time before classes start.”

“Yeah, Caleb, don’t go,” Nott said.

“I need to read before class,” Caleb said before briskly walking away.

“That was weird. Maybe he and Beau would get along,” Fjord said, sitting back down.

“I bet he’s just nervous,” Jester said.

“Isn’t he the best?” Nott asked, staring off in the direction Caleb had left.

“He is very interesting,” Yasha responded.

The group spent a little longer hanging out and talking in the Great Hall. Jester was very excited about the day ahead, and she shared her excitement with her friends. They left for class a few minutes early since all of them were eager to get started. Jester just knew that it was going to be a great day.


	4. Chapter 4

As the first few days of classes grew to a close, Jester’s excitement hadn’t diminished much. She was still beyond thrilled about being at Hogwarts, making all kinds of friends, and learning so many different kinds of magic. Since she came from a household that was immersed in magic, some of the things she saw at Hogwarts didn’t surprise her as much as some of the other kids, but she was no less ecstatic.

Flying was one of the classes where she had a real advantage, though she knew it wouldn’t be long before many of her classmates would get much better. In her opinion, there was still little chance that most of them would catch up to her level, but they would get better. After all, she had been flying for as long as she could remember, and she loved the free feeling that she got from being in the air.

In one of the flying classes, Jester was excited to see how much her friends had improved in a relatively short time. Fjord, Yasha, and Molly had never been on a broom before coming to Hogwarts, but they all seemed to take to flying naturally. Nott and Caduceus had flown before, and while they seemed to be able to keep their brooms in the air, neither had the ability of Jester.

“You’ve already got the hang of it, Yasha! Great job,” Jester said, hovering next to Yasha in the air.

“Thank you. I’m nowhere close to you, though,” Yasha replied.

They were working in pairs for part of the lesson, and Jester and Yasha had been paired up. The objective of the lesson was to fly through a series of hoops floating in the air. Some of the students had focused on simply making it through all of the hoops without falling, those who already had a good base of flying made it a little more exciting by adding a little something extra. For instance, Jester made a loop around each hoop before flying through.

Yasha was doing a great job making it through the hoops and had even started adding some turns to the paths between each hoop to get more confident with her turns. When Jester looked around to see how their other friends were doing, she saw that they all seemed to be doing pretty well, especially compared to some of the other students. Fjord, Nott, Caduceus, and Molly had all managed to stay in the air, whereas there had been multiple others who had fallen off of their brooms. Luckily, no one seemed to be injured, but they had a lot more work to do before they could even consider learning more skills.

“Are you excited for the Halloween feast tonight? It’s going to be so good, don’t you think?” Jester asked.

“Hm? Oh, yes, Halloween. The castle smelled wonderful today.”

“Hey, Yasha? Do you like it here?”

“Yes, flying is quite freeing.”

“No, I meant at Hogwarts.”

Yasha was quiet for a moment before answering.

“I think it is the most wonderful place I have ever been. I like it much more than where I grew up.”

“What was it like where you grew up?”

“It was… not so nice. This is much better. Plus, I have all of you, my friends,” Yasha said, looking down at the ground.

“I’m sorry it wasn’t good, but you’ll always have us!” Jester said, feeling kind of bad for making Yasha look so sad.

The professor called the class back together before the conversation could continue any further. She congratulated the class on completing the activity, but acknowledged that there was still plenty of work to do before many of them would be ready to fly on their own.

“You guys looked really good today!” Jester commented as they walked back to the castle together.

“You looked even better,” Molly said with a grin, bumping Jester’s shoulder with his own.

“I’ve just had more practice. You’ll get there soon, I know it.”

“I think I’d like to be on the Quidditch team eventually,” Fjord said.

“Me too,” Yasha added.

“Oh my gosh, wouldn’t it be fun if we were all on the team?” Jester asked, mind already running with the possibilities.

“Sure,” Nott said. “But that means we all have to actually make the team.”

“I’m sure we could do it if we worked hard enough,” Caduceus replied.

“Maybe if we trained together,” Fjord mused.

“We would make a pretty great team,” Molly said.

Their conversation continued until they reached the Great Hall, finally trailing off when they took their seats. The Great Hall was decorated beautifully, pumpkins filling much of the space. Jester wasn’t sure she had ever seen it look cooler, though the memory of the very first night was pretty amazing. The final stragglers were filing into their seats before the feast finally started.

There was plenty of food as always, but the thing Jester was most excited about was the amount of candy around. She grabbed one of the large pink lollipops from the cauldron in front of her and started brandishing it around in excitement.

“Be careful with that! It could be a weapon if you keep swinging it around!” Nott exclaimed, putting her hands up in front of her face.

“Oh, calm down. She’s just excited,” Mollymauk said, grabbing some sweets for himself.

Caduceus was looking happily at the apples in front of him, and Fjord looked like he couldn’t decide if he should start with the actual food or the sweets first.

“Of course I’m excited! Have you ever seen a lollipop this perfect?” Jester asked, her mouth full of sweets.

“It is very nice, Jester,” Yasha said, taking a sip out of her goblet, also looking quite content.

“Thank you, Yasha. I’m glad someone appreciates it.”

Molly and Yasha, who were sitting next to each other, started talking quietly. They looked like they were having a pretty intense discussion, heads close and ducked slightly away from everyone. Not wanting to interrupt, Jester turned to her plate and took a bite.

“So, did any of you know anyone else before you came here?” Fjord asked.

It was a little late in the year for this kind of conversation, but none of them had talked too in depth about their backgrounds. For some reason, Jester got the feeling that her friends didn’t really like talking about it, since the topic was usually shut down pretty quickly. She was surprised that Fjord was the one to bring it up, since he usually didn’t talk about his life before Hogwarts.

“Not really,” Caduceus replied first. “My family basically stayed in the same place, and there weren’t many people around. My older siblings came to Hogwarts before me, though.”

“I have a few friends here that I knew before, but I really like the new people I’ve met here,” Nott said.

“Like Caleb?” Jester asked, mouth open and chewing.

“Yeah, like Caleb.”

“Yash and I knew each other,” Molly said next, though Jester caught the look Yasha sent him when it looked like he was about to continue.

“Yes, but he’s the only one I knew,” Yasha added.

“That’s cool!” Jester said. “I didn’t know anyone before either. But we already have so many great friends now!”

“Right,” Fjord agreed, and Jester thought that he definitely looked happier to know that he wasn’t the only one who didn’t know a bunch of people.

The table fell into comfortable conversation as everyone started to focus more on eating. Everything was so delicious, even more so than usual. Jester knew that most of the students had been really excited about the feast, and it really showed. There had been a lot of chatter throughout the day, and now Jester could see why. The food was even more amazing than usual and the atmosphere was electric.

Before the evening was over, Headmistress Vysoren called upon the entertainment for the night. It wasn’t long before all of the Hogwarts ghosts were swooping around in a choreographed routine. Nott ducked down under the table like she was afraid one of the ghosts was going to hit her, but the others seemed impressed by the show.

Jester was enraptured watching the ghosts, and when she tore her gaze away, she saw that Fjord and Yasha were staring at the ghosts with huge eyes. Molly looked amused, and Caduceus looked like he was contemplating something.

“Come on, Nott! You’re missing it,” Molly said.

“This is not fun. They’re going to get me!”

“Why would they want to get you?” Jester asked.

“I don’t know, but have you seen them?”

By the time they coaxed Nott out from under the table, the show was almost over. Fjord sighed and rolled his eyes a little, but Jester knew for a fact that he wasn’t the biggest fan of ghosts either. By that time, the students had been dismissed back to their dormitories.

“That was great,” Caduceus said as they left the Great Hall.

“Yeah, it was super cool!” Jester said. “Oh, hey, Beau!” she continued as she caught sight of the Gryffindor in the corridor.

“What’s up?” Beau greeted.

“Halloween is so great, isn’t it? That was so fun!”

“It was pretty okay,” Beau replied, her face neutral.

Jester frowned a little, wishing that Beau would be more open with her. After all, Jester told her all about her feelings and had tried to be super open with her. Maybe they just needed to spend more time together so that Beau knew that Jester and the others really did like her.

“Will you come hang out with us sometime? I know everyone wants to get to know you better, right guys?”

“Yeah, Beau. We haven’t really talked after the train ride,” Fjord added.

The rest of the group nodded, but none of them had spent much time talking with Beau outside of a few words in passing or in class. Jester gave Beau her best puppy dog eyes, trying to get her to agree to spending more time with the group. It shouldn’t matter that they were in different houses because Jester knew lots of other people who had really good friends in other houses.

“I guess I could sometime, but only if you promise that you’re all cool.”

“We’re cool,” Nott replied quickly. “Are you?”

Beau just shot Nott a weird look.

“I’ve gotta go. See you around,” she said, giving Jester and Fjord a mock salute before walking off.

“I’m sure she’ll come hang out with us sometime,” Fjord said, looking over at a pouting Jester.

“Come on, Jester. Let’s go look at the pumpkins again before bed,” Yasha said quietly.

“Thanks, Yasha,” Jester replied, happy that her friends always tried to cheer her up, even when she wasn’t that sad.

Sure, she wanted Beau to spend more time with them, but Jester knew that she couldn’t force the other girl. She felt that Beau would come to them when she was ready, and all they could do was try to give her plenty of opportunities until that point. After all, Jester saw something special in Beau, and she was excited to get to know her and all of her other friends better.


	5. Chapter 5

Time was flying by so fast that Jester could barely believe it. After Halloween, time had passed so quickly, and it was already almost time for Christmas break. There was only a week or so of classes left before students would be returning home for the holiday, and Jester couldn’t wait.

It was going to be so great to see her mama again, and though she had written and received so many letters, that was nothing like actually hugging her. Being back home would be so nice, even if she was really going to miss her friends. At least they would be back together before long, so Jester could just focus on being home and having the best time there.

“Are you excited to go home for break, Fjord?”

“Oh, uh, definitely.”

Fjord and Jester were sitting in the corner of the common room, homework spread all over one of the tables. Since it was getting close to the break, they had so much work to do for all their classes. Jester was trying hard not to fall behind and was really glad that she had her friends to study with. It made everything so much easier to focus on when she had another person to work with.

“Me too!” Jester said. “Mama said that we are going to have a huge celebration when I come back, and it’s going to be so fun, and I’m going to get to see the Traveler again! Do you have any special holiday traditions?”

Looking down at his book, Fjord was quiet for a moment. Jester furrowed her brow and opened her mouth to ask if he didn’t hear her, but he finally responded.

“Actually, I’m not going home. I’m staying here for break, but I think that will be fun, especially since Beau is staying too.”

“What? Aren’t you going to miss your family?”

“Uh, I don’t really have one of those,” Fjord admitted quietly.

“You what? Do you want to come home with me for break? Beau can totally come too,” Jester said, jumping to her feet in surprise and excitement. “Oh my gosh, wouldn’t that be so much fun?”

Fjord stared at Jester before blinking and shaking his head slightly.

“Won’t your… your mama mind? I don’t want to intrude,” he said hesitantly.

“No, silly, she won’t care. She already said that she thought you sound super great and that she wanted to meet all my friends!” Jester enthused, giving a little hop of excitement, mind getting way ahead of the current moment.

“That’s real nice of you, Jester. I don’t know… I don’t know what to say.”

“Just say yes, silly.”

“Well, I suppose I could, if you’re sure your mama wouldn’t mind.” Fjord paused. “Thank you.”

“Yay! This is going to be so great! Let’s go find Beau!”

Jester jumped to her feet; homework completely forgotten. She shushed Fjord’s small protest, grabbing his hand and dragging them all the way to the Gryffindor common room. They stood outside the entrance, waiting for Beau. The portrait of the Fat Lady gave them a look as Jester called for Beau.

“Beauuuuu. Beau! Come out!” Jester called loudly, knocking on the painting.

The Fat Lady harrumphed and frowned, but the entrance swung open before she could say anything. A random Gryffindor came out of the portrait hole, and Jester immediately accosted them, asking them to go get Beau. The Gryffindor rolled their eyes but called back into the common room. As the other Gryffindor pushed past Jester and Fjord, Beau appeared at the door.

“What’s up?” she asked, looking between Jester and Fjord.

“Beau! You should come spend Christmas with me and my mama and Fjord,” Jester said excitedly.

“What now?” Beau asked, giving Fjord a look.

“She found out we were planning on staying here and invited us to go home with her for break,” Fjord said, shrugging his shoulders.

“And you said yes?”

“Yeah, yeah! And you totally should too!” Jester exclaimed.

“I don’t really do families,” Beau frowned.

“What about friends?” Jester asked, giving Beau her best puppy dog eyes. “Please?”

Beau sighed and rolled her eyes.

“Fine, but if it’s lame, I’m not going to let you forget it.”

“Yay! This is going to be soooo much fun!” Jester said as she threw her arms around Beau.

“I’m glad we’re both going,” Fjord said.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Beau said, but Jester noticed that she didn’t fight the hug.

Jester stepped back and gave Beau and Fjord a big smile.

“It will be great. I promise,” Jester said solemnly.

“I gotta get back to my stuff, but thanks, I guess,” Beau said, turning back to the common room entrance.

“Bye, Beau!

“See you later.”

Fjord and Jester made their way back to the Hufflepuff common room. They settled back down into their seats, trying their best to stay focused on their homework. Jester was having a particularly difficult time concentrating. She was so excited by the idea of Fjord and Beau coming home with her for break, and her mind was reeling with all things they could do. She also knew that she needed to send a letter to her mama soon. While she knew that her mama wouldn’t mind at all if Fjord and Beau came with her, it was definitely a good idea for her to let her know before they just showed up.

As they were working, Jester doodled in the margins of her notes. It was important to focus and get things done, but she just couldn’t focus anymore. Luckily, Fjord was able to bring her back enough for them to finish what they needed to do. She was able to make it through the rest of her classes, and break was there before she knew it.

Everyone was busy packing, and though they wouldn’t be apart long, Jester was sad that she would be apart from some of her friends. Everyone was going home apart from Fjord and Beau, who were going to Jester’s. The excitement of the impending holiday was palpable throughout the school, and Jester’s friends also seemed excited about the break from classes.

Jester couldn’t sit still the entire ride home. She was bouncing up and down and overall was just a ball of energy. All of her friends had stayed together for the trip, not wanting to say goodbye until they had to. Jester, Fjord, Beau, Caduceus, Yasha, Molly, Nott, and even Caleb had piled into one of the cabins of the train. Jester sat between Yasha and Beau, chattering away excitedly.

“What are you looking forward to at home, Yasha?”

“Oh, well, not having to study will be nice.”

“My brother and sisters will be home, so that will be good,” Caduceus chimed in.

“How many siblings do you have?” Caleb asked quietly.

Nott had managed to get Caleb to start spending more time with the group, especially once they had all shared some classes together. Caleb was still less outgoing than many of the group, but he fit in well.

“Well, there’s Colton, Calliope, and Clarabelle. Clarabelle will be coming to Hogwarts in a few years, so you’ll get to meet her sometime.”

“That’s so cool!” Jester said.

“Yeah, they’re pretty great. What about you, Molly? Are you doing anything fun?” Caduceus replied.

“Just hanging out,” Molly said, looking over at Yasha.

“That sounds fun,” Fjord said. “It will be nice that we won’t have lots of schoolwork to worry about.”

The easy chatter continued throughout the rest of the train ride. Jester was really excited about being able to show Beau and Fjord her home and introduce them to her mama. She was also hoping that the three of them would be able to go fly together at some point during the break. Fjord and Beau were actually pretty good fliers, so it would be so fun to toss around a Quaffle together.

As the train slowed when it pulled into the station, Jester jumped to her feet.

“We’re here! See you on the train ride back to school!”

The group said their goodbyes, including many hugs from Jester. Jester, Fjord, and Beau gathered their things and stepped out of the train after Jester went around and hugged everyone goodbye. Jester knew that it was going to be a great break, especially since she was getting to spend it with two of her friends. The only thing that would be better is if all of her friends got to stay together. She knew they would have plenty of fun once the break was over, so she wasn’t too sad about being away from the others for long.


	6. Chapter 6

Jester was very happy to have Fjord and Beau home with her for the holiday break. Her mama had been so welcoming to them, even if Jester did catch her friends shooting subtle looks at the two of them when they interacted. She thought it kind of made sense, since Fjord said he didn’t have any parents, and Beau never talked about her parents. Luckily, both Fjord and Beau seemed to like her mama, and her mama definitely enjoyed meeting Jester’s friends.

It had been slightly awkward at times, but Jester had really enjoyed the company of her friends at home. Having them there showed how alone she had been before Hogwarts, and that made her appreciate everything even more than before. It wasn’t that she had been unhappy before Hogwarts, quite the opposite actually, but having her friends at home was giving her an extra boost of happy.

She had been quite content with her mama and the Traveler before going to Hogwarts, but now she had an entire group of friends she cared so much about. They were a perfect group to play pranks on (and with), they liked playing Quidditch with her, and they were really good people. As much as she loved the way things were before, she never wanted to go back to not having these wonderful friends and wonderous school.

The break had gone altogether too fast. Jester’s mama had pulled out all the stops, and Jester was so happy to see that Fjord and Beau had a large pile of presents right next to hers. Fjord had looked like his eyes were about to pop out of his head, and both of them had stammered many thanks. Jester’s mama had waved them off graciously, but Jester could tell that she was so pleased that her friends were happy. All of them had really enjoyed the holidays.

When it came time to go back to school, Jester, Beau, and Fjord met up with the larger group on the Hogwarts Express. Everyone was chattering excitedly, and the conversation was easy and light on the way back to the school. They settled quickly back into their routines, and the teachers wasted no time throwing them right back in with the amount of homework they were assigned.

Everyone was working hard, and Jester could see a big improvement from all her friends, both in classes and with magic and flying in general. She was seeing more smiles from almost everyone, Yasha and Molly seemed much more relaxed at Hogwarts in general, Fjord and Beau seemed like they were more open, and the others were spending more time with the group, which made Jester smile.

A few months after break and once she finally had her schoolwork a little more under control, Jester rounded up her friends for a small game of 4-vs-4 Quidditch. It took a bit of organization, but they finally found a time that worked for everyone. They settled on a sunny and warm day one weekend, happy that the weather was getting warmer and that spring was finally there.

“Come on, guys! This is going to be so fun!” Jester said, holding her broom tightly.

“I want to be on Caleb’s team,” Nott said, sticking close to Caleb’s side.

The rest of the group quickly divided themselves into two teams. Jester ended up with Caduceus, Beau, and Fjord, with Molly, Yasha, Nott, and Caleb on the other team.

“Okay, how about one player per position?” Molly asked.

Jester’s team decided that she would be the Chaser, Fjord would be the Beater, Beau would be the Seeker, and Caduceus would be the Keeper. Beau usually preferred playing as a Beater, but she said that it would be a fun challenge to play as Seeker instead.

The other team also had two players, Molly and Yasha, that usually liked playing as Beaters, so Molly decided that he would take a crack at being a Chaser instead. Yasha stuck with being a Beater. Caleb, who usually played as a Seeker, was going to try playing as Keeper, and Nott stuck with chasing shiny things as a small but quick Seeker.

Though the idea was to have a small and low-pressure game, things ramped up pretty quickly. The entire group was relatively competitive, so the scoring and trash talking started almost immediately. Jester quickly darted off with the Quaffle and managed to dodge Molly. She almost dropped the Quaffle thanks to a well placed Bludger from Yasha but managed to hold on to send it right past Caleb’s outstretched fingertips through the hoops.

“It’s okay, Caleb, you’ll get it next time,” Nott called from above the hoops.

“Good one, Jes,” Beau said from where she was circling above.

Molly took possession of the Quaffle and easily dodged past Fjord and the Bludger. Jester had almost caught up with him by the time he aimed at the hoops. Caduceus made a nifty move and smacked the Quaffle away from the hoops, saving a point, but Molly was quick enough to get the rebound and send it through the hoop anyway. That earned him a nod of approval from Yasha, and he flew away smiling. Nott also let out a shout of excitement for the first points her team scored, and even Caleb looked excited.

The game continued as a pretty even back and forth, though Jester’s team ended up in the lead. They worked well as a team, and Jester could just imagine how well they would play together on a real team with real practice. Unfortunately, they would never be on the same team at Hogwarts, since Beau was in Gryffindor. Same with Caleb being in Slytherin, but at least they could enjoy their small games. If Jester and the other Hufflepuffs ended up on the Hufflepuff team, she would be beyond excited. She knew the chances were pretty small of all of them making it on the team, but she could dream.

When they called the game, it was beginning to get dark. Jester was very tired but very happy. She had scored a couple of great goals, and Beau had ended up catching the Snitch, though the Snitch race had been very close. Both Caleb and Caduceus had made some impressive saves, and Molly had scored some great points as well. If being a Beater didn’t work out for him, he would make a great Chaser. Yasha and Fjord were fierce beaters, and Jester wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of their rage in the game.

“That was great, Beau. Good job catching the Snitch,” Fjord said as they all came together on the ground.

“Thanks. Nott almost had me there, especially when Yasha sent that last Bludger at me,” Beau said.

“It was a great game! Great job everyone!” Jester said, grabbing her things and starting to make her way off the pitch.

“That was fun. Maybe we could do it again, ja?” Caleb asked, looking behind himself slightly.

“Yeah, a rematch! We’ll get you next time,” Nott said, short legs working hard to keep up with the group.

“I would like that,” Caduceus said, smiling dreamily. “This was entertaining.”

As Jester looked over the group, she frowned slightly as she saw that Molly and Yasha were still behind at the pitch.

“I’ll be right back. Don’t wait up,” Jester said to Beau as she ran back to check on Yasha and Molly. As she approached, she saw Molly take off to the sky again. “Are you guys okay?” she asked as she got closer.

“Yes, but I think we’ll meet up with you later. Molly wanted to fly a little longer, so I thought I’d keep him company,” Yasha said, eyes following Molly through the sky.

“Oh. Do you want me to stay?”

“That’s okay. Go with the others. We won’t be long.”

Yasha smiled at Jester before mounting her broom. Jester returned the smile, waving as Yasha flew off to join Molly. The two of them could be a little different, but that didn’t mean that Jester loved them any less. If they needed a little time alone together, Jester could take the hint. Jester could be a little excitable sometimes, but she was actually very good at reading people. She skipped back to the larger group of her friends, thankful for the fun they had together and wondering what she would have for dinner. She truly had a great life.


	7. Chapter 7

Jester couldn’t be anything but proud of the way the year had gone. She and her friends thrived throughout the year, and it had certainly been a year of growth and friendship. She, Fjord, Beau, Yasha, Molly, Caduceus, Nott, and Caleb had grown quite close as a group and had managed to make it through the whole school year without any major catastrophes. There had been a few close calls where Jester had pranked the wrong person and things almost blew up in her face, but she and her friends had managed to talk her way out of trouble.

Maybe her grades could be a little better, but that wasn’t what really mattered. Jester had a wonderful time throughout the year and learned much more than she ever thought possible, which was so much more important than grades. She and her friends had explored the castle, played some small games of Quidditch, and had grown really close. Jester loved her friends so much, and it seemed like they had all come to trust her and the others as well.

Of course, Jester was sad to leave the school and her friends, so she had put off packing until the last minute. She was in the dormitory one afternoon, desperately trying to stuff all of her things in her trunk. She had managed to get all of her things inside but was struggling to get it closed. Luckily, Yasha was sitting on her bed and offered to help.

“Would you like some help, Jester?”

“Would you? Thanks, Yasha! Hey, what are you doing this summer? Are you excited to go home?”

“Truthfully, I would rather stay here, but at least I will get to be with Molly.”

“What? Why do you get to be with Molly?”

“Do you remember when I said the place I grew up wasn’t so nice? Well, I don’t live there any longer, and the place I am living is much better. Molly lives there too. We don’t like to talk about it much.”

“I’m sorry. Do you not want to talk about it?”

“It is okay. I know you wouldn’t think less of me or spread it around,” Yasha said, finally managing to snap Jester’s trunk shut.

“Are you okay, though? It’s okay where you are?” Jester asked, grabbing Yasha’s hand and looking her straight in the eyes.

“Thank you for caring, Jester. Yes, it is okay where we are now, even if I would rather stay here with all of you.”

“Okay, but do you promise to send me an owl or something if you need anything?”

“Yes, I will.”

Jester smiled just as Nott burst into the room.

“Hey, guys!” Nott’s high voice cut through the room. “Everyone wants to get together before we leave. Are you coming?”

“Of course!” Jester said. “Let’s go, Yash!”

As the three Hufflepuffs joined the rest of their friends, there was laughter all around. The group was taking full advantage of being together as a group one last time during their first year. Jester had grabbed a big box of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans before leaving the dorm and started passing it around the group. She laughed as Caleb got a particularly bad one, scrunching up his face all funny. Some of the group got lucky and got normal ones, like Caduceus, Fjord, and Yasha, but Caleb, Beau, Molly, and Nott all got weird tasting ones.

The group shared laughter together and created some last memories for the year as Jester took a long but discreet look at Molly. She wondered if he had also lived in a not so nice place before he ended up living with Yasha wherever they were living. It made her sad to think about, but Yasha had promised that they were okay now. It concerned her quite a bit, but she knew that she and all her other friends would be there for Yasha and Molly no matter what. If Jester caught any whiff of stinky things happening, she wouldn’t stop until her friends were safe.

There was still so much Jester didn’t know about her friends, as evidenced by her conversation with Yasha earlier, but she knew that they had six more years at school to get there. The summer was only a few short months, and Jester really was looking forward to spending more time with her mama. Besides, she would be able to write letters to all her friends and maybe even visit a few of them.

“I’m really going to miss all of you and this place,” Fjord said, echoing Jester’s thoughts.

“Same,” Beau said. “I know I don’t really say it much, but I really will.”

“You guys are the best,” Molly said, throwing his arms around Caleb and Caduceus, who were sitting next to him. Caleb stiffened but relaxed after a moment.

“You mean a lot to me too,” Caleb said quietly.

“I really liked spending time with all of you. You’re all great,” Caduceus added, grinning.

“I’ll miss all of you,” Nott said.

“Yes, me too,” Yasha said.

“Guys! This is so sweet! I’m going to miss you all so much, but next year is going to be even better. I can feel it,” Jester said, smiling at everyone. She grabbed the box of Bertie Bott’s and grabbed a small handful.

“You sure you want to do that?” Beau asked, raising her eyebrow at Jester.

“Why not?” Jester asked, tossing all of the beans into her mouth.

She immediately knew that it had been a mistake, but it was too late to back out. Choking down the beans, she grimaced before putting a smile on her face.

“See? They’re great?”

The group laughed loudly, and Jester couldn’t help but laugh too. She was always so glad to hear her friends laugh, and more importantly, to make them laugh. Putting the moment in her memory, Jester wanted to make sure she would remember it for the whole summer. She really was going to miss her friends.

All too soon, the time they before they needed to leave was up. The group was a huge mess of hugs and even a few tears, and even the more closed off of the group participated in the hugging. Yes, the year was over, but the adventure was just beginning, and Jester couldn’t wait to see what they future would bring.


End file.
